From Myanmar to Montclair: A Graduate’s Journey of Resilience and Purpose

At Montclair State University, every graduate has a story – but some stories involve journeys that stretch across continents, crises and personal uncertainty on the way to Commencement. For Kaung Hla Zan, graduating with a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics isn’t just an academic milestone; it’s a testament to resilience, community and purpose.

Born in Yangon, Myanmar, Zan grew up speaking Burmese and learned English at a local monastic school, becoming proficient enough that he later became a volunteer English teacher at the school. He also worked in translation at a local broadcasting company translating English movies for Burmese viewers.

Then in 2008, in the wake of the catastrophic Cyclone Nargis that devastated Myanmar and the subsequent influx of foreign aid and involvement, new opportunities in the civil society sector opened up and he joined an NGO that worked in education.

“I worked in education support for local marginalized communities and I joined another NGO working at the Thailand-Myanmar border helping refugee schools build their curriculum and train their teachers,” Zan, 37, says.

A decade of working in translation, interpretation and teacher training made him realize that he was not only interested in languages, but he had a passion for helping other people learn.

Finding the right academic fit at Montclair

Looking to further his own education, Zan applied for and received a Lincoln Scholarship to study in the U.S. “Much like the Fulbright, this program offers a premier track for Myanmar scholars to pursue international education in the United States,” he explains. Out of three possible college options, he chose to come to Montclair to study Applied Linguistics.

“I found that what Montclair provided was an exact academic fit with my interests,” he says. “I thought the subjects and electives provided here were directly addressing what I wanted to do with my academic path ahead.”

He found the coursework challenging but also stimulating and developed a particular interest in corpus linguistics.

According to Zan, “Corpus linguistics is studying language as it is used in the wild. It’s looking at language at a whole new level of magnitude. People would look at language but only at a specific section of that language, but corpus linguistics brings in the entirety of the whole language.”

Persevering through uncertainty

Although he excelled in his classes, Zan’s academic path through graduate school was anything but straightforward.

“At several points in the past two years, the progressing violence following the military coup back home, the largest earthquake in my country’s history, and the ripple effects of an eventful administration change in the U.S. have had profound effects on my friends and communities,” he says. “It was somehow uneasy to be all safe and comfortable here while my folks struggled there.”

In addition to the emotional weight of watching his communities and loved ones endure hardship from afar, funding for Zan’s scholarship was cut in his second semester, leaving him uncertain if he could remain at Montclair for the second year of the program.

That uncertainty could have ended his journey – but it didn’t.

With the support of the University, particularly the Office of Global Engagement and faculty and staff of the Linguistics program – especially Graduate Program Coordinator Professor Larissa Goulart – Zan was able to continue in the program with a Graduate Assistantship, which helped cover his tuition and fees. He expressed his immense appreciation for all the work done and arrangements made on his behalf so that he could complete his degree.

“I must have been such an unusual case, giving both staff and faculty a considerable administrative challenge,” Zan says. “And for that exact reason, me completing the degree and graduating is an embodiment of the University’s commitment to higher education – for all of its students.”

Through the assistantship, Zan has been working as a research assistant in the Linguistics department’s CORAL Lab. In addition to excelling in research and teaching, he conducted an original, empirical study on Myanmar’s high school English textbooks, focusing on their vocabulary and phraseological coverage and strength.

Looking ahead

Zan has applied to work at an organization in New York that helps refugee populations get settled, and beyond that, he plans to pursue a PhD in Applied Linguistics with a focus on corpus linguistics.

All the while, he is still engaging with his organizations in Myanmar and providing online trainings and classes for underserved community schools there. His long-term goal remains clear: to elevate the quality of language education in Myanmar, especially in the communities that need it most.

But for now, he is looking forward to Commencement and celebrating his achievements with fellow Red Hawks.

This story is part of a series celebrating Montclair State University’s graduates – students who embody the University’s mission to broaden access to exceptional learning opportunities and contribute to the common good.

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Prospective students: Learn more about Montclair’s Linguistics program or apply to Montclair.

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